


To Hold My Own

by CheekysMagic



Category: King Arthur (2004), MaDancy - Fandom, Tristhad - Fandom, hannigram - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, But then again this ship is, Fluff, For a horse not Galahad, Galahad just wants a baby, Graphic description of birth, M/M, One Shot, This wasn't meant to be angsty, Tristan is Tristan, child rearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 00:06:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7291621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheekysMagic/pseuds/CheekysMagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It hurts that I can’t fulfil what you want, carry on your family line because my body is simply inefficient. Not built to rear the children you so desire”</p>
<p>Galahad's horse has found herself in labour, Tristan and Galahad stay beside her but it prompts their own feelings about birth. </p>
<p>And more specifically, the knowledge that they themselves, cannot produce offspring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Hold My Own

**Author's Note:**

> I have a feeling I'm not gonna very much views on this but I really needed to write this because I love this ship with a passion and its just so angsty that I needed to write another angst fic. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated <3

Tristan turned over in bed, he expected to feel the warmth of another body against him but instead felt nothing but the softness of fur and the crispness of sheets which told him that he was alone. His eyes snapped open and he sat up, feeling both confused and worried. 

It wasn’t like Galahad to get up in the middle of the night, at least without telling Tristan. 

The older man pulled on his clothes loosely and wandered out of his bed, poking his head out of the opening in his tent and looking out each side to search the area. It was empty, quiet safe for the quiet snores of his fellow knights and the soft chirping of crickets in the field. 

A tense sensation built itself in Tristan’s belly as he stepped out of the tent, feeling the chill of the night air catch at his skin which had him shiver momentarily. He needed to look for Galahad, at least before he started waking up the other knights to alert them of his disappearance. 

His first assumption was the stables; he knew that Galahad sometimes went there when he needed to be alone. His mare offered him companionship, someone to be with when humans couldn’t suffice him. 

He walked into the musky stables, the hazy smell of straw and dung filled his nostrils but it was nothing new to him. If anything, the smell comforted him, reminded him of all the times he had to step in here before battle to collect his stallion. 

Most of the horses were asleep, stood or laid down in their stalls as Tristan crept along the stables and checked on each stall to see if Galahad was in there. When he reached Galahad’s mare, he noticed she was awake and she seemed to be pacing and huffing. 

It was there that Tristan understood what was wrong with her, she was in labour. 

“Tristan?” 

At the calling of his name, said man turned his head to see Galahad sat in the corner of the mare’s stall, having created a nest of hay for himself to sit on. He stood up and went over to the gate where the older man was waiting, his face curious. 

“You were not in bed, I was worried. Why did you not tell me you were here?” 

Galahad mouth pulled into a thin line before he smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “I guess I just wanted to be alone, I had a nightmare and I went to sit with Eifar when I noticed she wasn’t settling down. I felt her belly, she’s definitely going to give birth tonight” 

Tristan hummed at him, moving his hand to cup at Galahad’s cheek which the younger man leaned into affectionately. “You’re a good man Galahad, are you going to stay with her all night?” Galahad nodded his head at him, turning his head back to look at the huffing mare. 

Almost as if she knew what they were talking about, she whinnied impatiently and both men laughed at her. 

“Do you know how far along she is?” Tristan asked, his hand having travelled upward into Galahad’s mad mop of curls. The other man opened the gate, allowing Tristan to step in before they both approached the horse. 

“I think she was having contractions before I arrived and I’ve been here for about an hour, I’d say she’s close because she’s been getting fussier” 

The older man went to run his hand over her face when she jolted her head in frustration, causing Tristan to huff a laugh. “Well you’re not wrong, this behaviour is definitely unlike her” 

Galahad smiled at him in response and went back to his nest, patting it to invite Tristan to sit beside him. He rested his head on his shoulder when he joined him, both knights watching the mare as she continued to huff and pace before them. 

“It’s hard to watch” The younger man started, his hand taking hold of Tristan’s and squeezing it gently. “I hate seeing her in pain, knowing I can’t do anything about it but let it happen” 

Tristan hummed at him and squeezed his hand back, head resting against Galahad’s curls. “It’s natural though and she understands why she’s in pain. Unless it’s unjust suffering, you have nothing to worry about Little Pup” 

Galahad felt his heart flutter at the use of nickname Tristan had personally given to him. While most of the knights did call him ‘Pup’, only Tristan referred to him as ‘Little Pup’ and he liked that. He only ever called him it when they were alone together, a private admittance of Tristan’s love for Galahad. 

The mare before them froze in her place and her stomach tensed together, small little grunts coming from her which had butterflies starting in Galahad’s belly. “She’s pushing” He whispered, unable to contain the grin that formed itself on his face. 

His eyes flickered up to see Tristan looking down at him, a warm smile pulling at his lips. “We’re going to have a colt soon, the first of our own steeds Galahad. Are you excited?” 

The younger man eagerly nodded his head, the grip on Tristan’s hand never letting up as the mare finished her pushing and went back to pacing again. 

They waited another hour and the mare eventually found herself unable to remain standing, having opted to lie on her side as her body was wracked with overlapping contractions and bouts of urges to push out the life that resided inside her. 

Galahad was sat beside her, his hands running over the great expanse of her swollen abdomen that had been housing the colt for a good few months. Tristan was sat beside him, leant over and scratching behind Eifar’s ear. 

“Does it fascinate you?” 

Pricking his head up, Galahad looked over at the older man curiously as he heard his question. “Sorry?” 

“Does it fascinate you? To bear witness to the starting of new life through the birth of your mare’s foal? Because it seems like it does” 

The younger man looked away from him, frowning and his hands stilling on the horse’s stomach. He didn’t know how to reply; he knew what to say but he didn’t know how to phrase it. But it seems like the expression on his face was enough to answer Tristan as he saw him nodding. 

“Ah, you’re not fascinated. You’re jealous of her” 

Galahad felt his cheeks flush with heat and he stared at his lover, his face stunned as he opened his mouth to speak and then quickly shut it. He saw the smugness on Tristan’s face and his expression melted, looking away from his again and down at the mare. “I’m not jealous of a fucking horse Tristan..” 

He heard him huff a laugh and Galahad snapped his head up to glare at him, seeing the smirk on Tristan’s face. 

“I am not jealous of Eifar; why would I be? Yes, she is more powerful than me and faster but I am content in the way I am Tristan. I am not jealous of an animal who’s naturally better than me physically” 

Tristan shook his head, resting a hand on Galahad’s and taking hold of it, bringing it to his lips. “I didn’t mean that. I meant the fact she can bear children for my stallion and you   
cannot bear children for me. I see the way birth fascinates you Galahad, you want a child just as much as me”

“I.. How.. I?..” Unable to find words to respond to him, the younger man felt his face become hotter with embarrassment and the mare beneath him whinnied. She was pushing again and this time she was putting in a lot more effort. 

“How do you know? I never told you” There were tears pricking in Galahad’s eyes, staring down at the greyish white coat of his horse and running his fingers through the soft coarse fur. He heaved a sigh and tipped his head back, a single tear trickling down his cheek. 

“I just know your culture Tristan, I know how precious carrying on your line is and it hurts. It hurts that I can’t fulfil what you want, carry on your family line because my body is simply inefficient. Not built to rear the children you so desire” 

Another tear fell but this time it was stopped by Tristan’s thumb running over his cheek, he opened his eyes and turned his head to see Tristan’s face inches away from his own. Their lips met slowly, a chaste kiss that had fire burning in Galahad’s loins. 

“Do not punish yourself for something you cannot control Galahad, I fell in love with you and the fact you cannot rear my children will not stop me loving you. We can always get a surrogate, someone else to carry them for us” 

But Galahad’s face soured and he turned away from the other man, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on said knees. He resembled a huffing brat and it had warmth spreading through Tristan. “It would not be the same, because the child would not be mine. It would only be yours” 

Tristan bit down on his lip and nodded, knowing his remark to be true. He reached out for him, pulling him at the shoulder to make him face him again. 

“What do you propose we do?” The older man asked gently, his voice as soft as fur which had more tears pricking in Galahad’s eyes. “I-I don’t know.. I’m sorry I have failed you Tristan. I’m sorry I cannot provide for you” 

His voice was growing shakier and Tristan was growing tired of Galahad punishing himself, he pulled the younger man into his embrace and let him cry into his shoulder. He rocked him until he was calm, simply sniffling into his chest now. 

“My family moved away from these lands a long time ago Galahad, technically my culture is long dead and therefore it is dead to me too. I do not care about you following on my line, as long as I have you in my life. I do not require children as long as I have you to keep me company” 

Galahad opened his mouth to argue but Tristan quickly closed it by tipped his chin up, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. “Enough. I think Eifar is crowning, we should help her” 

Shifting away from Tristan, the younger man crawled over to his mare’s backside and lifted her tail. His mouth becoming dry when he saw two small hooves poking out alongside a pool of blood. If he hadn’t been exposed to blood nearly all his life he may have fainted, but this was nothing new to him. 

The mare huffed and pushed again and Galahad positioned himself behind her, watching as more of the colt slipped out of her which had him smiling widely, feeling excitement grip him as his eyes met Tristan’s and the older man offered him the same smile. 

With shaking hands, he gripped hold of the colt’s legs and carefully began to pull. Eifar grunted at the sudden help but did not dismiss her rider from assisting her, instead allowing him to continue as she pushed again and he pulled alongside her. 

More of the colt came out and Tristan came to squat beside Galahad, watching him with fascination as more and more of the young foal emerged from the mare. “She’s doing it” Galahad whispered, his voice jittery with nerves as only the shoulders were left to go. 

Eifar grunted loudly and pushed as hard as she could, the shoulders slipping out and the head following soon after with a large gush of blood and amniotic fluid. Galahad’s arms were practically soaked but he did not care, to him this was a bonding moment between rider and steed. 

He pulled away at the sack covering the colt and watched as the once still creature suddenly came to life, it was shockingly black despite both its parents having white coats.   
Tristan looked over at him in genuine surprise, though they chose not to speak in this stunning moment. 

Galahad chuckled as the foal became to move, struggling to sit up and register the new world around it. He checked the gender and found it to be a young male, Tristan being right to call it a colt as he stroked the black foal and watched as he tried to crawl towards his mother. 

Having recovered from the birth, Eifar was sniffing around behind her as she saw her baby and edged towards him. Galahad smiled as she started to lick him, cleaning his blood slicked fur and standing up to encourage the colt to do the same. 

“What a beautiful colt, you must be proud” 

Tristan had finally broken the silence and the younger man chuckled again and grinned as he looked down at the ground and then back up at his lover. “He is unique but I know he will grow up to be a strong stallion like his father, already he is so independent” He referred to the foal who already was trying to stand despite being born only minutes ago. 

Coming over to him with a cloth, Tristan cleaned up Galahad to the best of his ability before they both stood together to watch as mother and son began to build a bond. It still created pain in the younger man’s chest to see how he would never experience that, but he tried to remain happy for his mare. 

“Come to bed, she will be fine from now on. Her instincts will tell her what to do” 

Galahad nodded at him and took hold of his hand, wandering out of the stall and carefully closing the gate behind them. He stood for a moment however, looking at mother and baby one last time before he allowed Tristan to drag him away. 

They climbed into bed together and Tristan wrapped his arms tightly around Galahad, pressing kisses into his curls as he could feel that the younger man was still reeling from the events earlier on that night. 

“If it’s any comfort to you, Little Pup. I felt much closer to you tonight than I have in a long time, watching you deliver that colt made me see your maternal side and how caring you can be. I felt like I was falling in love with you all over again” 

He felt a smile form against the bareness of his chest and he kissed the top of his head, nuzzling into his hair and breathing him in. “Thank you..” Galahad whispered, pressing a light kiss to his neck. 

Tristan felt warmth flourish within his chest as he knew Galahad genuinely meant that, squeezing him in his arms and tipping his lover’s head back to kiss him on the lips. “I love you” He quietly spoke, pressing his head against Galahad’s. 

Galahad smiled, his eyes falling shut. “I love you too, so much..”


End file.
